1
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
the plight of the homeless family was quite pathetic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a pathetic story that made her cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in miserable
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
the crowd mercilessly booed the boxer's pathetic performance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the pundit's latest book is another pathetic jumble of factual errors, half-baked political views, and baseless accusations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pathetic
No other governor, remember, has tried to pull off this pathetic budget stunt.
—
Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
In his last, most pathetic years, Mark Twain threw himself behind the crackpot theory that the true author of Shakespeare’s plays may have been Francis Bacon.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Kenney-Silver delivers a touchingly nuanced performance as Anne, balanced on the fine line between sad as in devastated and sad as in pathetic.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2025
Marathon needs to be given every possible chance to succeed and making Bungie crunch to fix things and throwing it into the wolves as a fall release (one that’s literally on the same day as Borderlands 4, mind you) would be a pathetic excuse for support.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 10 May 2025
In his last, most pathetic years, Mark Twain threw himself behind the crackpot theory that the true author of Shakespeare’s plays may have been Francis Bacon.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Kenney-Silver delivers a touchingly nuanced performance as Anne, balanced on the fine line between sad as in devastated and sad as in pathetic.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2025
Marathon needs to be given every possible chance to succeed and making Bungie crunch to fix things and throwing it into the wolves as a fall release (one that’s literally on the same day as Borderlands 4, mind you) would be a pathetic excuse for support.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pathetic
Adjective
-
But the rates were pitiful: $9.87 for a 13-mile trip, $19.97 for a 25-mile trip and so on.—
Eli Tan,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
-
Israel’s performance in climate mitigation, moving to renewable energies, is pitiful — just 12% when some countries are 70%.—
JTA Staff Report,
Sun Sentinel,
5 May 2025
Adjective
-
My back hurt from that sad excuse for a chair (seriously, who designs dining chairs to feel like medieval torture devices?).—
Renae Gregoire,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
Stewart is still thanked by gay fans by creating such a rare, highly visible (albeit sad) representation.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Allergies can make anyone miserable, especially when traveling.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2025
-
Nothing’s more miserable than foot pain before the dancing’s even begun.—
Camille Freestone,
Glamour,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
The 30-year-old actor’s longevity is clearly due to his willingness to fully commit to his characters, no matter how ridiculous.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
27 May 2025
-
As Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt looped a single over the infield and into short right, the sublime gave way to ridiculous.—
Denver Post,
Denver Post,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
This tactic is sometimes used to justify letting an employee go under the guise of poor performance.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
-
The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
The mortality rates of small indie presses and literary journals are a depressing feature of our cultural landscape.—
Michael Washburn,
National Review,
25 May 2025
-
Despite there being ample intrigue and mystery around what happened to Peter's first wife, the truth is pretty depressing.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
The biggest change, however, has been in fly ball frequency - his fly ball rate is now an absurd 50.0%, higher than any 2024 MLB regular.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
-
What else can be said about Judge’s absurd start to this season?—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pathetic. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share